Rethinking Boundaries
By Joanie A. Faust, DSC Communications Writer/Editor
While immigrants from South America are struggling to get into this country, Reverend Jenny Smith finds herself trying to get into theirs.
Smith, pastor at Desert Foothills UMC in Phoenix, Arizona, is the recipient of a Sabbatical Grant for Pastoral Leaders from the Louisville Institute which will enable her to spend twelve weeks in Costa Rica and Perú. The purpose of the trip is to become immersed in the Spanish language and Latin culture. While reflecting on the unique position she finds herself in, Smith anticipates her upcoming journey will be filled with opportunities to grow as a pastor as well as to understand what it means to be hospitable when you are a guest in a foreign land. “I had the choice of staying in a place with other students, but I decided that the best way to learn the culture and take full advantage of that part of it is to stay with the family,” Smith said. “It will be interesting to learn to accept hospitality, but also to be a good guest and be willing to share and open up.” Smith adds that she hopes she can take on the role of the “hospitable guest” by trying to give back to a country that has allowed her full access to their land and people. “I didn’t want to go to Costa Rica and Perú and just take,” Smith said. “My hope and plan is to serve; find some way to give of my time and energy—not as a pastor, but as a contributing guest with a mutual welcoming. I want to be very conscious of the balance between giving and taking. There’s much more that I’m going to receive than I ever am able to give.”
While Smith plans to have a mutual understanding and be accepting of other cultural practices, there are circumstances she suspects may become uncomfortable for her and her host family. “I have a lot of particularities about how I eat,” said Smith, a modified vegan. “I know that some of these things are going to be challenging because part of the way I know they show hospitality is through their food. Part of my challenge is how do I graciously receive that while inviting them into my point of view?”
Smith plans to answer all of her questions during her three month renewal leave in South America and hopes to find a deeper understanding about what hospitality means on a global and spiritual scale. “If we’re talking about God’s abundant table and extravagant hospitality… God invites us to his table not to just absorb, but to be at one at this table. God calls us to eat, share, and be one together. I’m really excited to expand my table beyond Ahwatukee, beyond Arizona, beyond the United States, to something bigger. I don’t know what to expect with the families, but I really trust that it will be a positive experience. How do we learn to live together in this house for a few weeks? And if we can do that… can’t we live at a table together in our bigger lives?”
Smith will be blogging and documenting her time in South America as well as staying connected to her parish through Facebook and Twitter. Look for a follow-up article about Smith’s experience upon her return.
Left: Jenny Smith left the comforts of her home to study in a place where she is surrounded and challenged by a different culture and language. (Photo courtesy of Jenny Smith.) Right: Smith poses with her host family in Perú, South America. (Photo courtesy of Jenny Smith.)